Hong Kong Code-mixing Dictionary

Definition: Originated from business emails and often said without a ‘to’ at the end, this is a code-mixing phrase that working class Hong Kongers would use in non-business settings when they really anticipate the happening of an event.

Usage: E.g. 我好look forward今餐會食咩。(I really look forward to what I will be eating for this meal.) E.g. 我好look forward今次既足球比賽。(I really look forward to this football match.)

Synonym: 期待

Reference: https://graduate.ctgoodjobs.hk/article/42024/lookforwardto點用-後面動詞需要加ing-與lookingforwardto有甚差別-用法-例句

Definition: A highly versatile code-mixing term used by working class Hong Kongers to refer to repair, solve, adjust, improve or make something work again, especially in the IT sector.

Usage: E.g. fix個bug幾日都仲未揾到個問題 (I've been fixing the bug for several days and still haven't found what the problem is.)

Synonym: 整; 修理; 解決

Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/3516188/page/32

Definition: A more polite way of telling somebody to shut up or '收皮' in Cantonese, which means to pack their things up and leave. (Also see 'collect skin')

Usage: E.g. Off啦你，成日咁多野講。E.g. Off啦你，成日搞搞陣冇幫襯。

Reference: https://zolimacitymag.com/pop-cantonese-收皮-collect-skin/

Definition: Originated from a Steven Chow movie, this is a code-mixing term that native Hong Kongers use to describe a brief period of time where one wants to unleash his potential. (瞬間)

Usage: E.g. 我醬爆感覺到，喺呢個moment，要爆喇

Synonym: 瞬間

Reference: https://www.hk01.com/電影/46299/愛-回帶-少林足球-醬爆-變漲爆-何文輝愈撈愈掂

Definition: A Kongish code-mixing phrase used by local Hong Kong students to refer to having no time for activities such as dinner or party, which doesn't necessarily mean they have no more time left in their lives such as due to a terminal illness.

Usage: E.g. A: Do you want to join the party tonight? B: I have no time.

Synonym: 我冇時間

Reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fj7SHv4Jhw4

Definition: 1. (adj) A code-mixing term that Hong Kongers use to describe a person being clever or quick to notice things. Sometimes, it is used as 'sharp醒'. 2. (adj) Used to describe someone's appearance as being too eye-catching.

Usage: E.g. 哇，乜今日咁sharp醒呀？咁快做哂D野？ E.g. 呢件衫Ｄ顏色太sharp喇。

Reference: http://www.cmi.hku.hk/Ref/Article/article02/01.html

Definition: An irreplaceable code-mixing term that Hong Kongers use to refer to the kind of love relationship that one can get while being a teenager or kid.

Usage: E.g. 咁細個就談戀愛？Puppy love呀？ E.g. 唔好成日掛住puppy love啦。讀好D書先啦。

Reference: https://repository.lib.cuhk.edu.hk/tc/item/cuhk-321644

Definition: A code-mixing term that native Hong Kongers use to refer to bypassing or avoiding something quickly. It is also often less intentional and deliberate than the Cantonese equivalent term '跳過' and tends to be done without much thinking.

Usage: E.g. 正常人每日第一餐必定是早餐，若然經常skip，會打亂人體生物鐘及削弱身體機能，抵抗力自然變差。(For normal people, breakfast is always the first meal of the day. If you often skip it, it will disrupt your body's biological clock and weaken your bodily functions, naturally making your resistance weaker.)

Synonym: 跳過

Reference: https://hk.news.yahoo.com/記性差-原來關早餐事-044500693.html

Definition: A code-mixing term used by native Hong Kongers which is a more generic and less vivid way of calling someone who is too preoccupied with talking about other people’s lives.

Usage: E.g. 唔好成日掛住gossip，專注啲做野啦！(Stop gossipping all the time and focus on your work!)

Synonym: 諸事八卦, 閒言閒語, 講是非

Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/2683169/page/1

Definition: Known as Kongish, this is a code-mixing phrase used by native Hong Kongers to refer to forming inner circles and having decisions made by its members.

Usage: E.g. You think they are really inviting a bid? They are just wai wai wai!

Synonym: 圍威喂

Reference: https://words.hk/zidin/圍威喂